DP’s office denies links to property listed by CS Matiang’i

Office of the Deputy President has denied links to the property listed by CS Matiang'i. [File, Standard]

The Office of the Deputy President has dismissed allegations made by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on William Ruto’s property and security detail, saying most of the property listed as owned by him was false.

This comes hours after the CS tabled a report in the National Assembly on the changes made in Ruto’s security detail six days ago.

In a statement dated September 1, 2021, the second in command’s communication secretary David Mugonyi said Matiang’i’s move to publicise his boss’ security arrangements was a potential exposure to further security threats.

“He (CS Matiang’i) exploited the forum to propagate malicious falsehoods and assaulted the dignity of the institution by recklessly publishing inaccurate data purporting to be the property interests and security deployments of the Deputy President,” Mugonyi said.

Further, the DP’s office termed the move as a futile attempt to humiliate and ridicule William Ruto for political propaganda’.

“In the context of many other orchestrated political events, schemes and machinations against the Deputy President clearly indicate that Dr. Matiang'i was acting in explicit pursuit of a malevolent political agenda,” Mugonyi’s statement read in part.

According to the report submitted by the CS to National Assembly’s Security and Administration, Committee revealed that the Deputy President presently has about 260 officers attached to him.

This is the largest security detail the holder of the country’s second senior-most office has had in history.

“The bearer of the office of the Vice President was automatically appointed as the Minister in charge of Home Affairs. Therefore, the security of the VP was provided by officers from the Prisons Service and General Duty Officers from various police stations depending on the number of residences the office bearer had. However, the escort duties were provided by officers from the Presidential Escort Unit,” Matiang’i said.

Matiang’I said that the DP has had 257 officers since he assumed office in 2013 to date, and is led by the Commissioner of Police.

Ruto’s security saga ensued on Thursday last week when the elite General Service Unit (GSU) security at his official residence in Karen was withdrawn and replaced by Administration Police (AP) officers.

The redeployment elicited mixed reactions as his political allies condemned the move while those in the opposite camp maintained their silence on the issue.

However, senior government officials dismissed the uproar saying the redeployment of the DP’s security was a normal routine, and reiterated that there was no cause for alarm.

In his response, Ruto trivialised the recent re-deployment of the GSU security officers from his official Karen residence terming the matter as being of least importance to the country.

“If the GSU have work to serve Kenyans elsewhere for instance those troubled with cattle rustlers, then they [APs] can assist me at home. And if the APs are also needed elsewhere, they can even bring G4S to my home. I have no problem,” Ruto said in loose Swahili.

The DP also urged his fellow politicians to shun petty politics and focus on solving the problems facing the people.